Knowing Better
by HunterG
Summary: Hermione can't take Ron's constant talk of her being a knowitall. So she decides to take the worst way out...suicide. Draco sees her cutting herself one day but doesn't say anything, could he have made a difference?


One-shot, I don't own this.

* * *

_'"Little know-it-all she is, no wonder she hasn't got any friends." Ron said in their first year. "Ron is amazing," Lavender said to Hermione in their sixth year.' _Hermione thought quickly. _'If only he weren't so blind…' _With that, Hermione took the tiny blade that she had broken out of a shaving razor and put it to her forearm. She looked up, closed her eyes for a second, and breathed deep. _'Maybe if I died, he'd know.' _ Hermione thought. Then she scoffed as she pushed the tiny blade into her arm and pulled it across her arm like a pen. Then she pulled down her sleeve and walked out of the library. 

Behind a bookshelf was Draco. He had been looking for a book when he saw Hermione sitting down with something in her hand. He watched her and saw her cut her arm. _'What the hell is that bloody Mudblood doing?' **(No pun intended but there it is.)**_ He watched as Hermione walked out. Malfoy put down the book and ran after her. When he caught up, he grabbed her arm. "Granger, what were you doing?"

"Malfoy, let go of me before I hex you. What the bloody hell do you mean 'What were you doing?' I was in the library studying."

"No, Granger, I mean this," Malfoy said as he lifted her sleeve revealing scars and a still bleeding cut. Hermione winced as he held her wrist.

"Let go of me, Malfoy. It's none of your business." With that, Hermione pulled her sleeve back down and pulled her arm out of Draco's grasp. _'How could I have been so stupid to do something like that in a library?' _She thought. Hermione walked to Gryffindor common room, bandaged her arm, and went to bed early.

* * *

-The Next Day- 

Hermione woke up early and put on her glamour charm. She showered and then ran down to the common room and simply sat by the fire to read. After an hour, Harry and Ron came down and were talking about getting Ginny. They tried _again _to get to the girl's dorm when they slid down the slide.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You know you can't go into the girl's dorms."  
"Shut up, know-it-all, just leave me alone," Ron said coldly. He turned to walk out of the common room.  
Hermione felt her heart wince so she closed her book and walked out of the common room. She ran to the dungeons to and empty room. At least, that's what she thought. In the room, she found the Mirror of Erised. She walked up to it and saw herself in a coffin, with Ron finally noticing her. _'So, this is what I really want?' _Hermione thought. _'I bet I can make it a reality.'_ Tears began to run from Hermione's face. She summoned a paper, pen, and knife next to her and began to write.

_Dear Ron,  
I've been learning that you will never care about me, and I can't really handle that. Ron, I have loved you but you never noticed. I have been living in a world of pain because of you. Ron, when you made the Quidditch team in our sixth year, I helped you by casting a confundus charm on that boy. I try to help you and you called me a know-it-all. I love you, Ron. I'm sorry that I never told you that in person and now it's too late. There will be no turning back. I'm sorry._  
_Hermione Jane Granger_

With that, Hermione took the knife and lifted her sleeve for the last time. She looked up, sighed and then looked back at her arm. She pulled the knife down and watched as the blood flowed to the cut and onto her robes. She put the knife to her wrist and pulled again. She felt the blood begin to flow again. She watched all the blood simply flow out until she passed out.

* * *

-In Class- 

"Ron, have you seen Hermione?"

"No, not since the know-it-all told me how we can't get into the girl's dorms."

Draco heard this and stood up. "Potter, I know where your Mudblood friend is. I saw her run through the dungeons this morning. And I currently think she's dead."

"What do you mean dead, Malfoy?" Ron said. He suddenly felt his heart drop. _'Hermione, dead? No, I…didn't get to tell her I loved her.' _Ron thought. _'I should never have made fun of her…'_

"Dead, as in without a pulse." Draco said. He walked out of the room and Ron and Harry followed him to a room in the dungeon. They saw Hermione on the ground covered in blood.

"Hermione…" Harry whispered. Harry's eyes began to fill with tears. He saw the note and saw that it started with "Dear Ron". "Ron, she…left a note for you."

Ron took the note and read it. His eyes began to fill with tears. Ron felt happiness leave him…for a long, long time.

Draco was shaking. He knew about Hermione cutting, but he never said anything. For the first time in his life, Draco felt…guilty. He felt tears come to his eyes and he began to cry because he could have done something to help her. Sure, she was a Mudblood, but Draco had learned something. Mudbloods had feelings too. _'Well, Granger, I guess you're happy now. I could have helped you…but I didn't.' _Draco thought. "I can't believe I knew this before you did. You, her best friends, knew nothing about this…girl. I'm sorry for both of you." Draco said. He decided that he would be civil to them because no matter what, they were still people.

"Draco," Harry said, "why do you care?"

"Because…I could have saved her." Ron looked at him and picked him up by his robes.

"What the bloody hell do you mean you could have saved her?" Ron said angrily.

"Put me down, Weasley." Draco said as he stared blankly at the ground. His blonde hair covered his eyes. Ron lowered Draco to the ground.

"I saw her cutting herself yesterday, if I had told…maybe she would still be here…" Draco said. "Listen, Potter, Weasley, I'm going to compromise. From now on, I will be civil to you both if you are civil to me."

"Very well, Draco." Harry said.

"Harry, I suggest you get McGonagall about Hermione. She…needs to be put to rest." Draco said as tears still ran down his face.

"Right then," Harry said and he ran to Gryffindor tower and found his head of house. Ron was on the floor sobbing so Draco kneeled next to him. "It's alright, mate. She might be gone, but…the best you can do is keep her in your memory."

"You don't understand, Malfoy. I…was in love with her." Ron said. He looked at Hermione's body, stood up and walked to it. He whispered, "Hermione…I'm sorry I drove you to this…I loved you too…"

* * *

-One Week Later, the Funeral- 

Harry and Ron walked around the church and saw all the fellow 7th year Gryffindors. Dumbledore had shown up, naturally as well as Ron's entire family. Draco came against his father's will. He walked to Hermione's parents and said, "I'm sorry for your loss, she was a brilliant girl. I wish I could fix it, Mr. and Mrs. Granger. I wasn't a good friend of hers, but an enemy. Nonetheless, I take back anything bad about her. Again, I'm sorry for not only your loss, but the world's loss of a great person."

"Thank you," Mr. Granger said to Draco. Draco shook hands with them and walked away to sit down. During the funeral, Ron asked to say a few words for Hermione.

Ron walked up to the podium and swallowed. "I'm sorry that we had to gather at this…unfortunate event. I loved Hermione as more than a friend and right now, I wish I could have told her that. I met Hermione on the Hogwarts Express several years ago. I had seven years with Hermione…and I never got to say to her that I loved her. I guess, to prove to her spirit in a way, I'll say something to prove myself." Ron swallowed and then recited his poem.

"_Gone is my angel  
A girl I truly loved  
I wonder why  
You took your life  
I will wonder  
All my life  
Someday I suppose  
I wanted to make you my wife  
That can never happen now  
Because you are gone.  
Hermione, I love you  
And I wish I could have told you."_

Ron walked from the podium and sat next to Harry.

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REVIW REVIEW REVIEW! I'm thinking about an alternate ending to this so...I'l post it as a new story completely. Also, check out my story, Broken and Shattered in the Heart and Soul. 


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